Steelers critique Myles Garrett, Tyrod Taylor, Browns

Monday

Sep 10, 2018 at 12:50 PMSep 10, 2018 at 1:43 PM

Several key Steelers detail key points about the Browns after leaving Cleveland with a tie.

CLEVELAND Browns safety Jabrill Peppers saw Sunday's outcome against Pittsburgh as more salt in the wound than taste of progress.Perhaps a 21-21 tie was more appetizing than what the Browns served up 16 times in 2017, but Peppers saw Cleveland as emerging then and ready to win now.

Was a tie a first proof the Browns have pulled even with Pittsburgh?

"They weren't even better than us last year, to be honest with you," Peppers said.

Heading out of Cleveland, how did the Steelers view the Browns?

Tight end Jesse James, whose two touchdown catches led to a Pittsburgh win at Cleveland in the 2017 opener, had trouble getting past his own team's bummer.

"Overall," James said, "it was just a really bad day, a bad day for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

James said the Browns had something to do with the pain.

"They did a good job defensively, getting pressure on the quarterback, making things uncomfortable for us," he said. "We had turnovers. They made plays. They got guys to the right place and made plays on balls that could have fallen to the ground."

"You've gotta be able to bring in balls no matter the weather," James said, "but one ball just slipped through my hands and led to an interception by Ward."

Myles Garrett, a No. 1 overall pick in 2017, had two sacks and two forced fumbles.

"Garrett has a chance to be one of the special guys in the league," James said. "You see his growth from last year to this year. He's got more awareness. They're using him differently, having him drop back at times.

"It's challenging to go up against a player like that, especially for a tight end. He's really good."

The game was full of examples of how the teams' respective drafting habits have shaped their fortunes.

In 2015, for example, both the Browns and Steelers used first-round picks to fortify their defensive fronts. Danny Shelton, Cleveland's pick at No. 12 overall, opened 2018 as a Patriots backup. Bud Dupree, drafted 10 spots later than Shelton, gave the Steelers two QB hits, two passes defensed and a sack on Sunday.

Yet, Dupree saw signs of a new stripe of Browns.

"They did real good," he said. "They played hard. They kept fighting until the fight was over."

Dupree spent much of the afternoon battling Desmond Harrison, the undrafted rookie promoted to the starting left tackle job last week.

"He's a quick young athlete," Dupree said. "They did a good job of trying to protect him inside with different chips and help."

Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton, whose interception during coverage of Josh Gordon cost the Browns a chance to win in regulation, said Todd Haley's presence as Cleveland's new offensive coordinator worked on two levels. Haley had spent the previous six seasons as Pittsburgh's "OC."

"Our guys who were with him for a while kind of knew what to expect," Sutton said. "He challenged us schematically."

The Browns gave Ben Roethlisberger nightmares by intercepting him three times and recovering two of his fumbles. The 14th-year Steeler, though, was far more effective as a passer than the Browns' new starter, Tyrod Taylor.

"It was just a weird game with the rain," Dobbs said. "You saw the other guy (Taylor) could barely throw. He was having trouble throwing. I thought Ben did a great job throwing the ball."

The Browns move on to a game at New Orleans. Pittsburgh gets a Monday night assignment against Kansas City. The Cleveland-Pittsburgh rematch will be played Oct. 28, when the Steelers are coming off a bye.

For now, the old rivals are coming off a tie.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347 or

steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

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